A Baker in Dubai: It Is Easier to Do Business Here than in Europe
Chef Jürgen Ellenbeck, a master baker with 46 years of experience, has been in Dubai for nearly 20 years, having opened his bakery four years ago during the height of the pandemic. In this interview, we explore his journey, the challenges of setting up a business in Dubai, and how he’s brought traditional German baking to the Middle East.
Chef Jürgen Ellenbeck has been running Home of Breads, the bakery he opened with his wife, for four years, after many years of working as a baker in his native Germany, on cruise ships and in industrial bakeries in Dubai. He is an esteemed member of the Emirates Culinary Guild, the professional association of chefs and bakers in Dubai.
Chef Ellenbeck, thank you so much for speaking with me today. You’ve been in Dubai for almost two decades, but it was just four years ago that you opened your bakery during the pandemic. Could you share a bit of your journey—how did you end up in Dubai, and what led to the decision to start your bakery here?
I’ve been a baker for 46 years, and when I came to Dubai 19 years ago, I initially worked in industrial bakeries. We put out 80 tonnes of bread daily, exported it to other countries, and provided large institutions like the United Nations. After 14 years in that environment, my wife encouraged me to think smaller and focus on our traditional German roots. That’s when I decided to open our bakery, and it’s been a great success.
Your bakery is rooted in traditional German techniques. How has your baking style evolved since moving to Dubai? Has local taste influenced your recipes at all?
Our success comes from sticking to our German heritage. We focus on traditional German bread, and that’s what people love here. We do adapt some recipes during special occasions, like Ramadan, where we create bread using local ingredients like dates, cardamom, and local honey. Also, because our clients are exclusively hotels and restaurants, we work closely with their chefs to create tailor-made products that answer their need for a specific taste or texture for a dish they are developing. But overall, our customers appreciate the authenticity of our German products.
It sounds like your bakery offers a truly unique experience in Dubai. Given that you’ve been in Dubai for so long, have you found a strong community of bakers here?
Dubai has an international community, so naturally, I’ve built relationships with people in the hospitality industry. Having a good network is key to success here, especially in business. Many of my friends are in the food and hospitality sector, and we help each other out whenever we can.
Speaking of business, what advice would you give to a young baker thinking about starting a bakery in Dubai?
You need a lot of experience. When you want to start your own business, if it’s a bakery or whatever it is, it’s not enough to be a good craft baker or whatever. You also need a sound knowledge of business. We have a lot of chefs – who are very good chefs – open their own restaurant but they have no idea about business so you need both. This is my advice: first do gain your knowledge, because you will fail if you don’t have the background. And you need a brilliant network in order to work. We only have success because we know each and every person here in hospitality and they know us. People know people and they can help you when something happens. And: don’t get influenced by somebody telling you it’s not possible.
It is possible. If you stick to yourself, you do what you want to do, you do what you think is right, then it is. You have to stick to your own ideas and your own dreams.